Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 2d

“This case arises from catastrophic design defects in the Tesla Cybertruck that turned a survivable crash into a fatal fire.”

Why would anyone feel safe getting into one of these death traps?

20-Year-Old Asphyxiated After Being Unable to Escape Tesla Truck That Crashed into Tree, Lawsuit Claims

Another family has sued Tesla after their loved one died when they were allegedly unable to escape a crashed Cybertruck.

people.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 12d

First spearheaded by Black clergy, the boycott of Target has been one of the most effective and sustained consumer actions in recent memory. And now some powerful new players like the American Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union have joined the fight.

Target Faces Boycott: 200 Days Without DEI, Financial Impact Grows

Target's DEI rollback triggered a 200-plus day boycott, $20B market value loss, a massive decline in foot traffic, and a CEO's departure.

www.investopedia.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 5d

The facts are clear: more diverse companies perform better. Here, e.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin cites a report that proves it, and explains why his brand is standing by "diversity, equity and inclusion."

e.l.f Beauty CEO reacts to Trump’s attacks on DEI: ‘There’s a lot of rhetoric without the actual facts.’ | CNN

Tarang Amin, CEO of e.l.f Beauty, defies Trump’s war on DEI and reveals data showing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is paying off.

www.cnn.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 9d

“Because collisions between trains and cars often cause significant fatalities and injuries, FSD’s failure to safely navigate railroad crossings creates serious risk of a catastrophic crash. We urge NHTSA to immediately launch a formal investigation into this disturbing safety risk ...”

Senators urge investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving after train crossing incidents

The letter comes after NBC News reviewed dozens of driver complaints alleging Tesla’s software mishandled train crossings.

www.nbcnews.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 12d

First spearheaded by Black clergy, the boycott of Target has been one of the most effective and sustained consumer actions in recent memory. And now some powerful new players like the American Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union have joined the fight.

Target Faces Boycott: 200 Days Without DEI, Financial Impact Grows

Target's DEI rollback triggered a 200-plus day boycott, $20B market value loss, a massive decline in foot traffic, and a CEO's departure.

www.investopedia.com

1 24 56

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 16d

Tesla's experienced not one but three crashes, all apparently on its first day of testing on July 1. By that time, Tesla had logged a mere 7,000 miles in testing.

Three crashes in the first day? Tesla’s robotaxi test in Austin.

Tesla’s crash rate is orders of magnitude worse than Waymo’s.

arstechnica.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 23d

“The U.K. is a fair, tolerant and decent country, so the last thing that British people want is dangerous and inflammatory language which threatens violence and intimidation on our streets.”

The harm that Elon Musk causes reaches far beyond the U.S. borders.

British politicians condemn Elon Musk's comments at anti-migrant rally

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned as dangerous comments by Elon Musk, who told an anti-immigration rally in London that violence is coming to Britain and urged people to fight back

abcnews.go.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · 26d

It started with indie rock quartet Deerhoof. Within weeks, groups like Xiu Xiu, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Hotline TNT followed suit. The wave of departures continued into September; most recently, The Mynabirds, WU LYF, Kadhja Bonet and Young Widows have all decided to leave Spotify.

Musicians keep leaving Spotify in protest of CEO's defense investments

In the last few months, bands including Hotline TNT and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have pulled music from Spotify in a new wave of artist-led protests against the platform.

www.npr.org

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Sep 8

“Elon Musk is a master manipulator. ... The reason the board is paying him is he’s willing to say things that other CEOs aren’t willing to say or get away with.”

Elon's offer will only pay off if the company grows so much that it becomes worth more than any company in history.

Why Tesla just threw $1 trillion at Elon Musk | CNN Business

What do you give a man who already can buy anything? How about $1 trillion?

www.cnn.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Sep 5

"Instead of looking at just what they have achieved, we could also look at where they started and be clearer about how we are measuring the metaphorical distance they have come and whether we are taking into account the support they had or the obstructions they faced."

Opinion | What I Got Wrong About D.E.I.

www.nytimes.com

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Sep 2

"Wells Fargo appeared to remove from its website a section ... which honored its work with the first national organization for lesbians, its support for Japanese-Americans held in US concentration camps, and its Spanish-language support, which dates back to the 1800s."

Wells Fargo discreetly deleted its DEI page detailing a long history of diversity and inclusion work dating back to the 1800s

The company’s website now refers to the program as “inclusion and accessibility” and features a host of other changes.

fortune.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 29

Cracker Barrel came under attack from Robby Starbuck for supporting diversity, equity and inclusion and LGBTQ+ people. And they caved to the pressure, like so many other corporations.

Remember, supervillain Starbuck has a job at Meta rn as their "AI bias advisor."

Cracker Barrel quietly removes DEI and Pride pages from its website after logo upheaval | CNN Business

After backing away from a controversial logo rebrand loudly opposed by many right-wing influencers, Cracker Barrel also quietly made changes to its website this week.

www.cnn.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 22

"Almost overnight, they chose to change their tune, and made it appear as if their values and investment into diversity were negotiable. The result was that consumer trust eroded faster than any quarterly gains could offset."

Woops. Ditching "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" cost Target bigtime.

The Quiet Part Out Loud: Target Ditching DEI Cost The CEO His Job And Investors $12 Billion

Eliminating its DEI programs has been bad for Target's business - seemingly costing investors billions and the CEO his job.

www.forbes.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 25

"The driver’s Tesla struck the victims' parked Chevrolet Tahoe as they were standing beside it on a shoulder. ... The plaintiffs’ lawyers have said the trial was the first involving the wrongful death of a third party resulting from Autopilot."

Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict

Billionaire Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement proposal in a lawsuit over the 2019 fatal crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S before a jury this month awarded a $243 million verdict in the case.

www.reuters.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 22

"Almost overnight, they chose to change their tune, and made it appear as if their values and investment into diversity were negotiable. The result was that consumer trust eroded faster than any quarterly gains could offset."

Woops. Ditching "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" cost Target bigtime.

The Quiet Part Out Loud: Target Ditching DEI Cost The CEO His Job And Investors $12 Billion

Eliminating its DEI programs has been bad for Target's business - seemingly costing investors billions and the CEO his job.

www.forbes.com

3 19 45

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 18

"If Zuckerberg would have chosen Tucker Carlson for instance, it would have elicited less shock, and would have been a step down in terms of going full-throttle to the right. He went right to the top of the snake by snatching Starbuck."

Fantastic analysis by @theadvocatebr.bsky.social

Zuckerberg and Starbuck teaming up is great news for the future of bigoted, straight white men

Opinion: Meta, with billions of users, has given the blowhard Starbuck a global mouthpiece to spread his hate and intolerance, writes John Casey.

www.advocate.com

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 15

The man Meta has appointed to help address "ideological and political bias" in artificial intelligence is a conservative influencer who believes that pesticide turns children LGBTQ+ and that the COVID-19 vaccine caused Matthew Perry's death.

Shame on Meta. We can see which side you're on:

Meta appoints anti-DEI and anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy theorist Robby Starbuck as AI bias advisor

Robby Starbuck has been appointed as an AI bias advisor at Meta with the goal of making the company's chat bot less "woke."

www.advocate.com

Reposted by Spending Spotlight

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 5

"Musk and his electric vehicle maker were accused of repeatedly overstating the effectiveness of and prospects for their autonomous driving technology, inflating Tesla's financial prospects and stock price."

It's lies all the way down.

Tesla, Elon Musk sued by shareholders over Robotaxi claims

Elon Musk and Tesla were sued by shareholders who accused them of securities fraud for concealing the significant risk that the company's self-driving vehicles, including the Robotaxi, were dangerous.

www.reuters.com

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Reposted by Spending Spotlight

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Jul 30

Many companies quickly and cynically abandoned their stated principles and values immediately upon facing pressure from the Trump world.

Here are 20 of the worst offenders that canceled or rolled back their efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI): spendingspotlight.org/the-spot/pos...

A graphic of different cartoon-colored hands reaching out towards the center, where a NO symbol covers the letters DEI. Text reads: 20 companies that abandoned their ethics.

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 11

The Tesla Cybertruck isn't just a colossal failure for the brand in sales of new vehicles: its aftermarket value has also taken a serious nosedive.

#TeslaTakedown

Cybertruck Leads Tesla’s Used-Car Collapse

Once hyped as the indestructible truck of the future, the sci-fi pickup is now leading a massive plunge in used Tesla values as the company grapples with the fallout from its CEO's politics.

gizmodo.com

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 8

"If this is their safe place when they’re in Lush and at work, then that’s when we’ve done our job.”

Brands thrive when they support their workers and the environment. Visit our site to discover more companies that are standing by their values.

Lush co-founder Rowena Bird on the brand's 30th anniversary, staying off Facebook and holding steady on DEI commitments

As Lush Cosmetics marks 30 years in business, co-founder Rowena Bird looks back on the company's biggest achievements, challenges and decisions.

www.modernretail.co

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Jul 30

P.s. If you've used Spending Spotlight to help guide your spending decisions, we'd love your honest feedback!

This survey will take 5-10 minutes, and you can also opt into hearing from us about new features: forms.gle/6jpDyGUur4zF...

Spending Spotlight - Help us help you!

We'd love your feedback on how we can do a better job helping you vote with your dollars. Note - we are a small group of volunteers. We understand your time is valuable as well. We tried to make this...

forms.gle

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 5

Thanks for sharing, Jeff!

Reposted by Spending Spotlight

Jeff Pettiross @pettiross.com · Aug 5

Looking for another reason to go local with your morning coffee stop? Starbucks has caved on DEI. Follow the link for a dozen companies that have stepped up support despite pressure from the Trump administration.

Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Jul 30

Many companies quickly and cynically abandoned their stated principles and values immediately upon facing pressure from the Trump world.

Here are 20 of the worst offenders that canceled or rolled back their efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI): spendingspotlight.org/the-spot/pos...

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Spending Spotlight @spendingspotlight.org · Aug 5

"Musk and his electric vehicle maker were accused of repeatedly overstating the effectiveness of and prospects for their autonomous driving technology, inflating Tesla's financial prospects and stock price."

It's lies all the way down.

Tesla, Elon Musk sued by shareholders over Robotaxi claims

Elon Musk and Tesla were sued by shareholders who accused them of securities fraud for concealing the significant risk that the company's self-driving vehicles, including the Robotaxi, were dangerous.

www.reuters.com

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